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Short filmmakers don't have the luxury of time.
With less than 20 minutes to move an audience, they have to get to the point.
Partial to the short film genre, director Kent Green, 32, of Collingswood relies on a literary analogy to explain the cinematic challenge.
A full-length film is like a novel, he said. You reach the end, close the cover and it's done.
Short films, he said, are like poems to be savored over time.
"And when that happens, it's the biggest compliment," Green said.
Green's film, "A Rose Has Teeth," debuts Sept. 28 at the second annual September Shorts Film Festival.
"Short films are often overlooked by the industry," said Marianne Lods, executive director of the art district's oversight program, the Millville Development Corp. "You can't see them anywhere."
The downtown film festival brings filmmakers together with an audience to celebrate the "art of cinematic brevity."
The filmmakers get to watch the public's reaction to their work.
And the audience gets exposed to new ideas.
Lods admitted crystal meth addiction was not one of her high-interest topics.
Then she watched Jon Waller's documentary, "Broken Glass: The Crystal Meth Explosion."
"It was riveting from beginning to end," she said. "I learned a great deal from it -- every student should see it."
The festival will feature the work of some well-established filmmakers, such as animator Bill Plympton.
And Steven Oscar Moore, 44, of Port Norris, and formerly of Los Angeles, made the Academy Award short list in 1999 for his animated production, "The Indescribable Nth."
The film tells the tale of a boy born with his heart in a snow globe. Moore relies on old-school hand-drawn animation. His work is not computer-generated.
It takes 12 to 24 drawings for each second of the 10-minute film.
"It's very labor intensive," he said.
Moore is looking forward to attending the festival to watch the audience reaction.
And so is Green.
"Sitting there with an audience, you get a better idea if you need to tweak something to get the reaction you want," he said speaking like a director.
It's also nerve-racking.
"It's like public speaking," Green said. "But it's bigger than that because you put your heart and everything out on the line."
Summaries for 2nd annual shorts film fest
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The 2007 winners
Documentary category -- "Broken Glass: The Crystal Meth Explosion," by director Jon Waller. Produced by Waller and Jennah Trocchia, of Point Pleasant and Rowan University, the film focuses on the lives of two men who have gone through the hell of crystal methadone addiction and a young woman whose journey from addiction to redemption is a warning to us all. 19 minutes.
Drama category -- "If Occurrence," directed, produced and written by Michael Licisyn of Turnersville, tells the tale of two close friends who haven't spoken or seen each other in years and suddenly come face-to-face with each other. 6.5 minutes.
Horror, first place -- "A Rose Has Teeth," directed by Kent Green of Collingwood, is about a man who discovers a murder across the hall. 5 minutes.
Horror, second place -- "Help Me," directed by Ernie Rockelman of Egg Harbor City, tells the story of a young woman terrorized at a roadside motel. 11.5 minutes.
Animated, first place -- "The Indescribable Nth," directed by Steven Oscar Moore of Port Norris, features a boy born with his heart inside a snow globe who finds love. 10 minutes.
Animated, second place -- "Shut-eye Hotel," by director and animator Bill Plympton of New York City, is a cartoon noir murder mystery that takes place in a sleazy hotel. "Shut-eye Hotel" will do for sleeping what "Jaws" did to swimming." 7 minutes.
Animated, Jersey Fresh Award -- "Superstitious Ned," directed by Paul Franco of Bridgewater features the return of Ned on Friday the 13th. 7 minutes.
Comedy, first place -- "Jukebox Blues," director Pat Taggart of Philadelphia shares the story of the couple walking into a redneck bar. 5 minutes.
Comedy, second place -- "Happy Hour," Sal Randazzo of Atco tells the story of two friends who go to a bar on a mission. 3 minutes.
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